Ward, who retired before the 2012 season, said he will have nothing but support for any active player who does decide to come out publicly.

“Hopefully one guy comes out of the closet and [will] be comfortable with himself,” Ward said. “I don’t have anything against a gay football player or a gay person period, so if he does, he has support from me. I want people to live their lives for who they are and don’t have to hide behind closed doors to do that.”

If you recall, Mike Freeman of CBS Sports reported back in March that some believe that the time is right for a gay NFL player to come out. And that the concern isn’t in the locker room, but outside of it.